How Many Sessions to Give Chiropractic a Fair Try?

[Crimson Wife]

On a different HSing forum, a mom swore that seeing a chiropractor cured her child of bedwetting. My developmentally delayed child still wets the bed at 8.5. Right now she's staying dry overnight about 80% of the time. She's already on a dairy-free diet because of her gluten intolerance so that's not the issue. Our insurance covers chiropractic care at 70% so I figured it was worth a shot.

 

We saw the chiropractor for the initial exam and adjustment Thursday. My DD stayed dry Thursday and Friday nights but wet Saturday and Sunday. The chiropractor recommended twice-weekly adjustments to start so we have appointments scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays this week and next. 

 

How long would you give the chiropractor to improve the symptoms before deciding that it's not helping? The co-pay cost is less the issue than the logistical hassle of schlepping her back and forth on top of all her normal therapy & doctor appointments.

[sassenach]

As a non-chiro person, but mom of a SN kid and familiar with shlepping, I would probably try it for 4 weeks.

 

That said, bed-wetting runs in my family and all affected persons wet until about 12 years old, including myself. Nothing helped, it was just a waiting game.

[bettyandbob]

Ds wet until he was 12. We started chiropractic at 8 or 9. Chiropractic got us from wetting twice a week to every couple of months. Between 9 and 12 if ds wet more frequently​ (3 nights in a row maybe) DS would return to the chiropractor and then go back to not wetting fir several months. Basically, chiropractic made it more manageable. I have friends for who chiropractic completely eliminated wetting. My ds is 2e and had so many things going on that getting the wetting less frequent was a victory for us.

 

Ds was also gf, dairy free, and had many other thing removed from his diet. DS has multiple environmental allergies. Removing mild food allergens actually helped his response to environmental allergies. It is my understanding that controlling allergies helps with wetting. We started the elimination diet before Chiropractic. That was the step that got us from daily wetting to twice a week.

 

Alarms and many other things were absolutely useless to us.

[OneStepAtATime]

I guess I would give it about 4 sessions but I don't know much about how a chiropractor helps with bed wetting.  What is the actual link there?

 

Have they ever checked to see if there might be a structural issue?  

 

Like is her urethra is normal?  Mine was too short and caused the urine to sometimes flux back up.  It caused bed wetting and sometimes urinary tract infections.  Those did not resolve until I was about 12.

 

My grandmother had bed wetting issues nearly all of her life.  When she was older she finally had things checked out in more detail. Turns out she had a spastic bladder.  It would periodically contract, causing her to feel like she needed to go to the restroom a lot but also caused her to have accidents.

 

In other words, I'm just wondering if there is a structural issue.  Has that been checked?  

[DesertBlossom]

I took my oldest to a chiropractor. I can't remember for how long. But he was upfront that he felt like it helped some kids with bedwetting and it didn't help others. So he gave me the timeline-- and if it didn't help by then to stop. It didn't help. And he didn't charge for any of the visits.

[BigMamaBird]

My 8.5 year old has been in chiropractic care since he was 4 and he still wets the bed.  I love chiropractic but I don't believe that it can cure everything.  If a kid wets the bed there are issues with the brain and wakefulness, I don't know if that can be corrected by alignment.  

[Crimson Wife]

I guess I would give it about 4 sessions but I don't know much about how a chiropractor helps with bed wetting.  What is the actual link there?

 

The idea is that the nerves to the bladder run from the sacral area of the spine so if the lower spine is out of alignment that could contribute to wetting. It's not implausible an explanation, which is why I figured it was worth giving chiropractic a shot.

[winterbaby]

Nerves from the spine run to everywhere, but scientific medicine tells us that "adjusting" the spine is not the answer to everything (and many chiropractors will, indeed, tell you that their techniques are the answer to anything and everything you present with). Chiropractic is not without risk, either.

[Lanny]

Disclaimer: I have never been to a Chiropractor.  However, the (late) father of a childhood friend was a Chiropractor and I was in his office, in Las Vegas, a number of times.  I believe (from what I've heard) that there are excellent Chiropractors, who really help their patients improve, and others, who are just in it to milk the insurance coverage.  I believe my friends Father really helped people. I know that my friend said that he has been helped by a Chiropractor. Now, whether or not a Chiropractor can help with bed wetting, I would never have guessed that is possible.  I would suggest that you try to research that on the Internet.   As I was writing this, I remembered that a friend (Ph.D. Anatomy Professor) taught in a Chiropractic school, for many years, before he retired.  If it seems to be something a Chiropractor might help with, I think going twice a week, for 1 to 2 months, to see if there is any improvement, might be worth a shot. I assume you have discussed this issue with your Pediatrician and that didn't work?

[catz]

My kid wet the bed occasionally until 9.  Friend's daughter did until 12.  And she wet the bed almost every single night and had to wear pull ups.  It was a definitely a developmental thing for her.  Both kids are academically highly gifted +.  Anyway, I think it's worth a try and I think 4 weeks is a good baseline.  But I wouldn't be shocked if it didn't work.

[wapiti]

I don't know much about chiropractic, but I think it's worth a try, though I can't guess for how long.

 

Things that helped my kiddo with bedwetting:

magnesium - daily; huge help for many years

D-mannose - for a few days at a time, even though there was no apparent UTI

 

What cured it:  lots of antibiotics for various infections

 

It has only been back maybe once since that I can remember, immediately following one of his IVIg infusions.  In his case, neuroinflammation of some type seems to be the cause, with the exact mechanism unknown though there are various theories.  (Even though we are still dealing with neuroinflammation in the pandas sense, bedwetting is long gone at this point)

 

eta, I'm not into homeopathy but the other day I came across a treatment called causticum

 

also look at vitamin B1 (and other Bs in general)

Edited May 8, 2017 by wapiti

[Crimson Wife]

  I assume you have discussed this issue with your Pediatrician and that didn't work?

 

Pediatrician thinks it's related to the developmental delays and the fact that DD underreacts to sensory input. She's not against trying chiropractic but is dubious that it will do anything.

 

Alarms I'm dubious about because if they're auditory, I'm not sure DD would be able to hear them at night when she's not wearing her hearing technology (cochlear implant processor and hearing aid). If they're electric, I'm not sure that is safe for the internal components of her cochlear implant.

[PeterPan]

I like my chiro and am taking ds today as a matter of fact. I have no thought that it will reverse his wetting, as that is clearly linked to his serious sensory processing problems from his autism. The ONLY thing that has made significant headway on it is working on retained reflexes and doing lots of input (stroking, brushing, etc).

 

Unless you have x-rays or something showing some need, I would go a couple times, make sure her back is in good shape, and move on. It's true kids can be crunchy from birth. My ds does a lot of gymnastics, so all that banging ends up with his neck off. But you can actually feel that it's off. Like it clearly needs to be adjusted. He can't tell me he has headaches, but he has been acting out of sorts for two weeks and saying he doesn't feel right, even though he can't touch where. Chiro will be good for that. 

 

But to reverse autism-caused bedwetting? Good luck. 

 

Adding: My ds still wets too. He wears nightpants *and* has double layers of bed pads on his bed. If I knew of some miracle cure, I'd be all over it. The only thing that has come close is working on the sensory input. Every time we fade the sensory input, it comes back, sigh. If he's tired, sigh, out of sorts, etc., it increases. It's not his back or a pinched nerve, mercy.

Edited May 8, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[gardenmom5]

On a different HSing forum, a mom swore that seeing a chiropractor cured her child of bedwetting. My developmentally delayed child still wets the bed at 8.5. Right now she's staying dry overnight about 80% of the time. She's already on a dairy-free diet because of her gluten intolerance so that's not the issue. Our insurance covers chiropractic care at 70% so I figured it was worth a shot.

 

We saw the chiropractor for the initial exam and adjustment Thursday. My DD stayed dry Thursday and Friday nights but wet Saturday and Sunday. The chiropractor recommended twice-weekly adjustments to start so we have appointments scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays this week and next. 

 

How long would you give the chiropractor to improve the symptoms before deciding that it's not helping? The co-pay cost is less the issue than the logistical hassle of schlepping her back and forth on top of all her normal therapy & doctor appointments.

 

it depends upon the cause.  IF there is something neurological in the spinal column - yes, it could.  

 

why it would work at first and then slip back. . the vertebra go back to being out of alignment because that's the position they're used to being in, and it's working towards them staying in alignment.  how fast that happens varies.

 

my story . . my son was having major abdominal issues.  childrens' hospital for testing, etc. multiple doctors, no one can find anything.  I mention to my chiro (for my neck).  he's convinced he has a misalignment between two particular vertebra that is causing it.  give him the x-rays my reg ped took - he points out a fractured vertebra right where he said there was a problem.  (the other's all ignored it because it was healed.)

it did take multiple adjustments - but he never had another episode again.  however - if we weren't on top of having him adjusted at least once a month, he would start to show symptoms.  this was only for as long as he was growing.  eventually he only went it at the *very first sign* of an episode.  they got further and further apart and he hardly sees one anymore. (like once a year or two)

[Murphy101]

It depends on the Chiro. A good one should be able to tell you how many approximate appts you need to see improvement.

 

A bad one isn't worth seeing twice.

 

Our good one is awesome and honest. He says up front that he can or can't help and what to expect.

 

The crappy one my son saw was completely useless and wouldn't even go over his X-rays without paying for additional appts. Which is stupid. And the first so-called adjustment was hookum nonsense.

 

Like most medicine in my opinion, a good doctor is worth anything and a bad one is worth nothing.

[Guest]

I took my oldest to a chiropractor. I can't remember for how long. But he was upfront that he felt like it helped some kids with bedwetting and it didn't help others. So he gave me the timeline-- and if it didn't help by then to stop. It didn't help. And he didn't charge for any of the visits.

 

I would ask for some information of this sort.  

 

When I started Chiro, it was 3x a week for 3 weeks, 2 for about 6 and 1ce for about 12.  Lots cheaper and more effective than spinal surgery.  :0)

 

But the causes and effects are different for each person/problem.  I'd ask for some assurance that you aren't just becoming part of the chiropractor's retirement plan.  I do that with every practitioner.  I'm not picking on chiropractors.

[Lanny]

I am very skeptical about this, and yet....  what if this helps?     I think it might be worth a try, for a month or two, and I would suggest discussing, up-front, with the Chiropractor what he thinks is the possibility of success and how many appointments it will take, to begin to see that success.  .  I have seen other things on TV, acupuncture, etc., that I also consider "strange", but it is obvious they are working for at least some patients, and accepted and even recommended, by some reputable M.D.s    Post #3 certainly reported good results.  As I type this, there are only 16 posts in this thread, so at least 1 post in 16 reported positive results.  That's not zero positive results.  Anecdotal perhaps, but from someone who saw positive results.  I would contemplate giving it a try...

[Rosie_0801]

Twice a week for a few weeks, once a week for a few weeks, then fortnightly for a significant period before cutting down to monthly or three monthly maintenance is a pretty standard recommendation.

 

It does take time to train the muscles into holding the vertebrae where they ought to be, instead of where they have habitually been. That's also why people often feel great after one or two sessions, then worse for the next few, before starting to feel better again. Muscles don't like changing their habits any more than the rest of us do.

 

Even if the Chiro fixes the bedwetting, falling off the couch in a round of horseplay could knock everything back out again and you'd need to go back to have it fixed up.

 

Obviously if the issue is caused by a food intolerance or tubes not being the right length or something, a Chiro can't fix that. Working on a retained spinal galant should help too.

[Katy]

I think chiropractors are awesome for anything muscle or skeloton related.  Badly sprained ankle?  Absolutely, go.

 

But I don't think chiropractors can do anything for something that's essentially a brain issue - her brain is either making the hormone to not produce much urine overnight, or it's not. Nerves have nothing to do with the kidney recognizing that hormone to slow urine production.  In the mean time, try setting an alarm for YOU or DH to get her up out of bed around 11 pm to go to the bathroom.  If she usually wets later than that, whenever that is, or 30 minutes before.

[TeenagerMom]

I think chiropractors are awesome for anything muscle or skeloton related.  Badly sprained ankle?  Absolutely, go.

 

But I don't think chiropractors can do anything for something that's essentially a brain issue - her brain is either making the hormone to not produce much urine overnight, or it's not. Nerves have nothing to do with the kidney recognizing that hormone to slow urine production.  In the mean time, try setting an alarm for YOU or DH to get her up out of bed around 11 pm to go to the bathroom.  If she usually wets later than that, whenever that is, or 30 minutes before.

 

Basically what she said.  If the hormone production isn't there, night wetting still is going to happy (my Anatomy professor JUST talked about this very thing last week).

 

The biggest factor for my night wetter was also making sure he wasn't constipated.  He would start night wetting again as soon as he was backed up. As long as we keep him cleared out, he does fine.